I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Ariel woke up a little earlier than usual to make advance preparation in order to leave for Hispania.

As she expected, perhaps it was because she hadn’t had a deep sleep yesterday, and when she checked in her mirror, her under eyes were a bit puffy.

Ariel, hurriedly washed herself and finished her light dressing alone without Shuri’s help.

When she left the room and headed for the terrace to wake up with the morning breeze, she saw a familiar backside among the crowd.

After catching her breath for a moment to control her breathing, she walked over to him with an effortless expression on her face and patted him on the back.

“You woke up early.”

“What, are you awake already? I was just about to go wake you up.”

Edgar glanced at her from top to bottom as if for some reason.

Ariel, who felt unpleasant from his stare, stood deftly so that she could not be seen, and she struck him in the shoulder with her fist.

“Oh my!”

“Oh, don’t make a fuss, you idiot……!”

When Edgar uttered a sound as if he were dying for an instant in a series of intense pain, Ariel was surprised and looked around and blamed him.

The moment she hit him, she seemed to have hit a rock, but why is that the rock-man is whining like a flower?

It was just unfair for Edgar, too.

Unless she had put the magic of domination in her hands for a moment, this intense pain didn’t make sense.

Edgar didn’t think she would have put magic into hitting her childhood friend as a joke either, but if she really did, it is horrific.

“Oh, it still hurts… You don’t know how hard your hands are.”

“How can a kid who practices every day be in pain for something like this?”

“What does training have to do with being sick? Even Mr. Creed would die if he is stuck with a knife in his stomach.”

What kind of training did they think that he took, that even if a person brushed against the sword, they would not even blink.

Ariel held her head small as if she could understand Edgar’s blunt words.

She might not believe it, if it’s someone else, but it felt real because the object of the metaphor was Creed.

As the two childhood friends continued their quarrel with little use from the morning, two shadows slowly approached from the back.

“You two are here too.”

“How was your night?”

The opponents are none other than Sally and Gria.

While trying to move out of the annex for a walk around, they came up to see a little familiar backside, and as expected, Ariel and his group were there.

Ariel, a little surprised by the unexpected meeting, greeted each other, and Edgar, who was leaning against the railing, also responded by asking how they were doing overnight.

“Are you going to stay until tomorrow?”

“Ah, we are going back to Hispania as of today.”

“As expected. Your outfit was so neat that I was just wondering…….”

When Edgar looked around at Gria’s words, there was certainly a slight difference in the clothes of the people.

Some people finished their preparations in neat clothes like Edgar and Ariel, while others came out in somewhat simple clothes like Sally and Gria.

Because he hadn’t even thought of that, Edgar’s expression was startled when he heard Gria’s words.

On the other hand, this side was conveying the regret this way.

Sally wanted to get closer to Ariel, the first person of the same age she met at this ball, except for Gria, but Sally was in a situation where she couldn’t have a conversation with her new friend and can’t help but tolet her go.

“It looks like Princess Robeheim is rushing in a hurry because she is busy with work… I’m sorry.”

“Not to that extent. It’s just that since my father is away for a while, I have to protect my home.”

“You mean… Are you referring to His Highness Robeheim?”

Yulken Robeheim.

He is one of the most powerful people in the Hellvenier Empire and the current head of the Robeheim family, the ruler of the north.

He is said to cut off the heads of foreigners invading the north without any mercy, so he is also called the iron-blooded ruler and is a man longed for by many.

Anyone who doesn’t know that name shouldn’t exist in the aristocratic family.

Sally was also one of the many girls who admire Yulken’s achievements, having only heard of the name.

“Yes, he is a very busy person.”

“Well, I guess I have to do that. Your highness must be having a hard time in many ways.”

“As a member of the family, it is my duty.”

She said so, but even Sally, who didn’t know her very well, could tell that Ariel’s bitterness in her smile.

She was born as an only child, and who took on the responsibilities of her family at the early age of fifteen year old.

Since Sally has a younger brother, such heavy responsibility is something she could not even dare imagine, as someone who isn’t burdened with it.

Sally suddenly grabbed Ariel’s hands, raised the hands up to her chest, and looked at Ariel with twinkling eyes.

Then,

“If you can afford a cup of tea later, would you like to send a letter to my family? I’m very sorry that there are many stories I couldn’t share with your highness.”

“Yeah, I will. Rather, this hand… … .”

[T: (ﾉ≧∇≦)ﾉ ﾐ ┻━┻ what happen to the promise hate between love rivals]

When Ariel, who was taken aback by the sudden physical contact, even though it was between two women, stuttered, Sally, who belatedly noticed her own behavior, took her hand away in surprise.

.

.

.

And soon after, Shuri found the two of them on the terrace and came over to talk to them.

It was because Ariel had to give her a definite answer as to when they would depart, as everything from packing up and preparing the wagon was over.

“My lady, the carriage has been put on standby outside the imperial palace. When shall we depart?… .”

“ Now, Ed, let’s go.”

“ Is it already the time to leave? Okay.”

As they talked, it seemed that they did not even notice the passage of time.

Edgar and Shuri separately carried all of their simple luggage that Ariel brought out separately, and left the annex.

Since Sally and Gria had a long-awaited relationship, they followed her out of the palace, asking to see her off, and Ariel did not stop them.

If there is a bond between people, nothing is good if you treat them too coldly.

It was a somewhat different sight from when they left Hispania.

At that time, all the family retainers came out to see Ariel and the others off, but today it was just the two of them.

“I’ll send you a separate letter later, so let’s have a cup of tea, Princess Dewalos.”

“oh… ! Hey, could you call me by my first name if you don’t mind? If possible, I would like the princess of Robeheim… … .”

“I want to ask you too.”

It hasn’t been a long time since the first got to know Ariel, but they’re sad to let her go like this.

Besides, even if Ariel promised to meet next time, as long as Sally didn’t know when that would be, she wanted to change her title even now.

It’s like a token of a promise to each other.

“… is it so. Sally, Gria. You don’t need a title for something like this, right?”

“Yes, yes! Ariel.”

“If there is a chance next time, we will definitely meet the three of you. I’ll be waiting for you, Ariel.”

How many people did the daughter of the precious grand duke family invite so freely?

Sally hurriedly nodded her head with her thrilled expression, and a faint smile formed on Ariel’s lips as Gria delivered her words of promise.

Edgar and Shuri, who watched this scene from the side, were busy whispering and giggling to each other.

It was rare to see Ariel, who was not anyone else, open her heart to other’s invitation.

Most of all, they probably haven’t had much conversation, but maybe it means that Sally’s sincerity touched her that much.

Even if Ariel pretended not to be, she was a girl with a lot of affection.

“Goodbye, Ariel! See you next time!”

“I’ll prepare a nice cup of tea, so if you get a chance, stop by the Zernin family.”

As the carriage departs, Ariel waves through the door.

The two of them waved their hands at her, promising to meet her next time.

In that way, the carriage disappeared in an instant across the great highway that stretched to the center of Heldeck.

The two remaining girls smacked their lips in regret and laughed at each other.

Hopefully we can interact more in the future.

Feeling that the air entering the gap of the carriage had cooled considerably, Ariel woke up from her bushy sleep, and a familiar panorama unfolded outside.

Snowflakes bloomed beautifully on the endless flatland, which had only been dry, just before they came, reminiscent of a painting.

Ariel loved this view.

This moment when everything in the world is covered in snow, and all beings are equal.

Beautiful flowers, huge trees, private houses, and sharp tall spires.

This view of everything taking a nap covered in nature without having to discuss which one is beautiful or not.

“I guess it’s snowing? It won’t be piled up in the castle, will it?”

“I guess so. It disappears in a flash as soon as the snowflakes touches the ground.”

The symbol of domination is not, to be sure, a thing that changes the weather itself.

This means that you cannot be free from weather phenomena such as snow and rain from the sky.

However, the temperature remains mild, so as soon as the snow touches the floorit melts or it melts even in mid-air, resulting in rain.

So Ariel resides in Hispania, but ironically, she rarely saw snow piled up when she stayed cooped up in the castle.

“We’ll be there soon. Is Mrs. Helena there?”

“I don’t know. Mom could have gone to where father is… There is Elfreld at home anyway.”

Ariel staring at the snow-covered plain with indifferent eyes as if it doesn’t matter.

Meanwhile, shortly afterwards, a carriage arrived before the gates of Hispania, and moved swiftly across the boulevard to the castle of the House of Robeheim.

“Lady, shall we prepare warm water first when we arrive?”

“Well, it’s all right. I’ll take a nap and wash up later after I get up. Ed, what are you going to do?”

“I’ll be waiting in the room. Call me if you need me.”

Creed can meet tomorrow anyway, and it’s not too late to go out after seeing Ariel fall asleep.

So while the three person were asking and answering their respective schedules, the wagon that arrived at the castle stopped slowly, and the guards who were guarding the entrance rushed out and saluted towards the carriage.

“How was the trip, my lady?”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Ariel, who smiled and nodded at the words of the two guards, asked about the recent situation while she was not here.

“Yes, thanks to your concern, nothing happened.”

“Where’s mother? Did she travel to where my father is?”

The two guards opened their eyes wide to Ariel’s question that followed, and suddenly, they looked at each other and delayed answering.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Oh, that’s…….”

Anyone who is in the Robeheim family knows some things.

Even if they haven’t seen it in person, there are stories they’ll have heard in their ears.

These two knew it, so they hesitated to bring it up, but they can’t keep it a secret anyway.

In the end, the person who opened his mouth with the gun barrel was a man with a slightly taller and sleeker impression.

“In fact, Your Highness is back.”

“… father?”

“Yes.”

Only then did she know why they were looking at each other and avoiding an answer.

Edgar’s expression, who was listening to it next to her, changed, and Shuri’s look was also shaded.

Ariel closed her mouth, stared at the waterway that flowed under her feet with sinking eyes, and soon nodded slightly and passed by the two.

It seems too early to sleep peacefully.

[T: hoho!(・o・) Daddy’s entrance is full of villain vibe.]